I tend to enjoy a generous ratio between nuts and pastry, as that makes me feel a little bit better about the copious amounts of sugar in this, but above and beyond that, I think this approach produces the best texture. You can use as many layers of filo as you want, but be careful, since too many may not cook through, and the only way to mess this up is to undercook the dough. The top and bottom layers need to dry out, and thoroughly crisp up, otherwise, once the syrup gets ladled over, you’ll have a soggy mess.
Ingredients
Dough
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 12 sheets phyllo dough, thawed if frozen
Nut Mixture
- 2 ½ cups walnut halves
- 1 cup shelled pistachios
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
Syrup
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- ¾ cup water
- ¼ cup honey
- 3 whole cloves
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons orange flower water
Directions
Step 1
Place walnuts, pistachios, and cinnamon in bowl of a food processor. Pulse on and off until mixture is chopped but not too fine.
Step 2
Brush bottom of 9-inch round baking pan with melted butter. Place one round of phyllo dough in the pan; add a second round of dough. Drip about 1 tablespoon of melted butter over the top. Add 2 more sheets and drizzle with butter. Add 2 more sheets and drip with butter creating 6 layers for the bottom. (While you work keep the phyllo sheets covered with a damp, nearly dry, cotton towel to keep dough from drying out.)
Step 3
Sprinkle with 1/3 of the nut mixture. Top with a sheet of phyllo and drip with melted butter; repeat with 1 more sheet of filo. Add another 1/3 of the nut mixture.
Step 4
Place another sheet of phyllo on the nuts; drip with butter. Top with another sheet and drip with butter. Add the remaining nut mixture.
Step 5
Top with 2 sheets of phyllo; drip with butter. Add 2 more sheets; drip with butter. Top with the last 2 sheets and drizzle generously with the remaining butter. Cover pan with plastic and refrigerate until completely chilled, about 1 hour.
Step 6
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Step 7
Cut baklava into about 12 diamond-shaped pieces approximately the same size.
Step 8
Bake in preheated oven until browned and crisp, about an hour.
Step 9
Place sugar, honey, and cloves in a saucepan. Pour in water. Place pan over medium-high heat and whisk to combine. Bring to a boil; remove from heat. Whisk in vanilla and orange blossom water.
Step 10
After baklava has rested 5 minutes, ladle syrup over the top. Cool down to room temperature before serving.
Editor’s Note:
If you want to use homemade phyllo dough, use 16 sheets in the baklava. Get the recipe for Chef John’s Homemade Phyllo Dough.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Nutrition Facts | |
---|---|
Servings Per Recipe 12 | |
Calories 466 | |
% Daily Value * | |
Total Fat30g | 38% |
Saturated Fat7g | 36% |
Cholesterol20mg | 7% |
Sodium138mg | 6% |
Total Carbohydrate47g | 17% |
Dietary Fiber3g | 12% |
Total Sugars32g | |
Protein8g | |
Vitamin C1mg | 3% |
Calcium46mg | 4% |
Iron2mg | 10% |
Potassium238mg | 5% |
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient.If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.
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